Two charged with printing counterfeit bills

Angelica Sulon Usher, 21, of 111 Ridgefield Drive in Dudley, and Travis Thomas, 40, of 671 N. Duffie Road in Red Springs, were charged with six counts each of forgery of notes, checks and other securities.

An undisclosed number of counterfeit bills were passed at area businesses in the last week, police said. Seven were reported to the police department, and others were turned over to the U.S. Secret Service by banks.

The bills were printed on legal U.S. currency paper and appeared to be legitimate $100 bills. But when held up to a light source, a $5 metal strip and the President Lincoln portrait watermark could be seen.

Mount Oliver officers, Wayne County deputies and Secret Service agents searched locations in Mount Olive and Dudley early Friday and seized U.S. currency, counterfeit monies, printing machines and a firearm, police said.